Oil man Pickens seeks 'army' to back energy plan

Energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens said on Wednesday he is creating an "army" of business leaders and mainstream Americans to lobby for his plan to revamp U.S. energy policy in favour of wind power and natural gas over imported oil.

Pickens said he hopes to break a political stalemate on U.S. energy policy, calling Wednesday's move by Republicans in Congress blocking tax incentives for alternative energy "just sad" and an example of the lack of leadership on energy.

"We have to put the pressure on" political leaders, Pickens said in an interview with Reuters. "They are going to have to, one, recognize the magnitude of the problem, and they are going to have to come up with some kind of solution."

The 80-year-old Republican, who backed the Swiftboat advertising campaign that damaged Democrat John Kerry's 2004 presidential bid, said he was dissatisfied with both U.S. presidential candidates' energy proposals.

"I want both candidates to sit with me," Pickens said of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.

Pickens was in Topeka to launch a series of U.S. town hall meetings to promote his sweeping agenda aimed at reducing America's dependence on foreign oil, mainly by using natural gas to fuel cars and wind power to generate electricity for homes and businesses.

"I think we can put together an army that can put pressure on Congress," Pickens told some 500 people gathered to hear his proposals. Pickens, who made a fortune in the oil industry, now has a $10 billi(5 billion pounds) on wind farm under development.

He said though he is concerned about global warming caused by burning fossil fuels, his chief motivation for spending $58 million to market his plan is fear that dependence on foreign oil undermines both the U.S. economy and security. The United States imports 70 percent of its oil.

The "Pickens Plan" would replace 38 percent of U.S. oil imports and cut hundreds of billions of dollars from the nation's $700 billion oil import bill.

A key first step should be a federal mandate to have government-owned vehicles be powered by natural gas, he said.

Pickens has launched a national media campaign, holding town hall meetings, travelling to Washington and meeting with business leaders.

Pickens said he met on Monday with officials at Google and Cisco Systems about throwing their support behind his plan. He also is seeking the backing of billionaire Warren Buffett.

Pickens was joined in Kansas on Wednesday by Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat and a potential Obama running mate.

The push by Pickens came as Republican lawmakers in Washington blocked passage of an energy bill that would provide extensions of tax credits for wind power, biodiesel, and renewable diesel, and solar energy investment credits.

Republicans are pushing legislation to end a ban on drilling for oil offshore and to develop oil shale fields in the West.